Republican Senators Have Voted To Cut $1.31 Trillion From Medicare

December 01, 2009 11:52 am ET

During Senate debate this morning, several Republican Senators took to the floor to encourage passage of the McCain amendment and to discuss their wrong interpretation of Medicare funding in the Democrats' health care reform legislation. What is most interesting about this morning's debate is that these senators who falsely accused Democrats of cutting Medicare have themselves cut Medicare by $1.31 trillion during their collective tenure in Congress.

Senate Floor Statements At Odds With
Years Of Voting In Favor Of Medicare Cuts

Republican Senators Alexander, Coburn, Crapo,
Enzi, and McConnell
spoke on the Senate floor in favor of the McCain
amendment and against the Democratic health care reform legislation.

Tabled An Amendment That
Would Have Given The Sickest Seniors $12 Billion In Medicare Funding. Senators Alexander, Crapo, Enzi, McCain, and
McConnell all voted to table an
amendment that would have allocated $12 billion for additional treatment for
Medicare beneficiaries with cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and
disabilities. The motion to table passed 57-41. [S. 1, Vote #253, 6/26/03]

Voted To Put Needs Of
Wealthy Americans Over The Needs Of American Seniors. Senators Alexander, Crapo, Enzi, McCain, and
McConnell all voted against an amendment that would reduce the enormous tax cut
given to the wealthiest American tax payers in order to give a fair
reimbursement to rural health care providers under Medicare. The amendment
failed. [SCR 23, Vote
#89, 3/25/03]

Voted Against
Increasing Medicare And Medicaid Funding By $4.1 Billion. Senators Alexander, Crapo, Enzi, McCain, and
McConnell all voted against a measure
which would have increased funding for health care programs under Medicare and
Medicaid by $4.1 billion. The motion was rejected 41-56. [HJR 2, Vote #21, 1/23/03]

Voted In Favor Of
Cutting Medicare Nearly $160 Billion Over Six Years. Senators McCain and McConnell voted to cut Medicare by $158.1 billion over six
years. First - the Senate version of the
Fiscal Year 1997 Budget Resolution that contained the cut and, Second - the
same cut in the conference report. Both
passed 53-46. [H.C.R. 178, Vote #156, 5/23/1996; H.C.R. 178, Vote #159, 6/13/96]

Budget Cuts Included Reductions In
Medicare, Medicare, Welfare, And Discretionary Spending. Senators McCain and McConnell voted in
favor of adopting of the conference report on the concurrent resolution to
establish a six-year plan to balance the federal budget by 2002. Projected
spending cuts over six years include $158.1 billion in Medicare, $72
billion from Medicaid, $53 billion from welfare and $297.9 billion from
discretionary spending. The conference report passed 53-46. [HCR 178, Vote
#159, 6/13/96]

Voted Against
Reducing Medicare Cuts By $181 Billion In Favor Of Tax Cuts For The Wealthy. Senators McCain and McConnell voted against a motion reducing cuts to Medicare by $181
billion by reducing tax cuts for upper income taxpayers. The motion was
rejected 46-53. [S. 1357, Vote #499, 10/26/95]

Voted In Favor Of
Cutting $270 Billion From Medicare. Senators
McCain and McConnell voted to adopt the conference report on the fiscal 1996
budget resolution to put in place a seven-year plan to balance the budget by
2002 by cutting projected spending by $894 billion, including cuts of $270
billion from Medicare, $182 billion from Medicaid, $190 billion in non-defense
spending, and $175 billion from various entitlement programs such as welfare.
The conference report was agreed to 54-46. [HCR 67, Vote
#296, 6/29/95]

Voted To Cut Medicare
By $256 Billion. Senators McCain and
McConnell voted to adopt the resolution to adopt a seven-year budget plan that
would balance the budget by 2002 by cutting projected spending by $961 billion
of which $256 billion would come from Medicare, $175 billion from Medicaid,
$190 billion from non-defense discretionary spending, and $209 billion from
various entitlement programs. The concurrent resolution was agreed to 57-42.
[SCR 13, Vote
#232, 5/25/95]

Voted To Maintain Tax
Cuts For The Wealthy Instead Of Reducing Medicare Cuts By $100 Billion. Senators McCain and McConnell voted against an amendment to reduce by $100 billion the
proposed cuts of $256 billion to Medicare and Medicaid by reducing tax cuts.
The amendment failed 46-52. [SCR 13, Vote #173, 5/22/95]